Sequel to Under The Hood so do go and read that first otherwise some bits may be a bit confusing as this story is AU.
And a new story equals new layout(sort of) if you don't like it tell me and I'll revert back to my old way.
NB: Takes place roughly two months after UTH.

Colm Daniels was your perfectly average man. He had a well paying and a well respected job at that.
He lived in a nice residencial area called the Meadows where he owned a lovely two storey house.
Colm Daniels was also good man, a giving man. Helping his elderly neighbour with her lawn, giving donations to charities and attending fund raisers.
Yes, Colm Daniels looks like your perfectly average nice man. But everyone has secrets and a past, especially Colm Daniels.
And Colm Daniels should have known that his dark secrets and past wouldn't leave him so easy and that they would come back to haunt him.

Tonight's gonna be a good, good night.
The thumping music was starting to get to his head.
"Oooooohhhh ooohhhh" crowed Allen staggering up to Robin a half dunk bottle in his hand and it wasn't his first or second.
"Come on Robin. Sing!"
"I don't sing" he replied dryly.
"Come on!" said Allen dramatically, swinging his bottle and emptying most of its contents "this is the good bit!"
"Your drunk Allen."
"Jeez mate, what's wrong with you? Do ya not realised that we're finished hiccup school? Finished!"
"Abi should be here."
"'N you call me drunk. Sure she's only" Allen frowned and counted his fingers, raising four of them "five!"
"Your only holding up four fingers Allen."
"Hehe, oh yeah" Allen set into a fit of giggles as Viv joined them.
"Allen, why don't you do DJ?"
"Sure thing love" he said attempting to wink but blinking instead.
Viv turned to Robin. "Lighten up a bit would you? Look you'll be eighteen in a few weeks, you'll have Abi back then."
"Oh yeah, just a few weeks, no big deal."
"Robin it's not like you don't see her. You see her practically everyday and take her out on weekends and she still goes to the same school. Your over re-acting."
"I'm supposed to look after her."
"She's okay with living in the home and you know I wouldn't be surprised if John didn't get custody in the next while. It's a stupid rule."
Robin traced the pattern in the sofa with his finger. "What if we don't get custody?" he asked looking up at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Your Robin Hood, you make the impossible possible and this isn't the least bit impossible."
Robin didn't reply.
"Don't worry about it okay? Forget about it, even for tonight."
"Yeah."

Robin stood up, making sure to keep clear of Eve who was attempting to teach Much the waltz with devastating results.
He found Marian and wrapped his arms around from behind.
"Did I tell you how good you looked?" he whispered in her ear.
"I could do with hearing it a few more times" she said turning in his arms and wrapping her own around his neck.
"Oh, and what's this? Robin Locksley in something other than Hoody. Am I dreaming?" she asked fingering the collar of his shirt.
"I know, I have that effect."
They danced out of time to the music for a while until 'Single Ladies' came on full blast.
"This is for my girl Viv" said Allen with a new bottle "who really isn't single though and for….Carter, who is single. So eh…..heers to Carter, the single lady!" Allen raised his glass in an attempted toast but only managed to trip forward bring the wires of the CD player with him.
"Shall we sit down?" asked Marian over Allen's hysteric laughter.
Robin nodded sitting down on the nearest sofa and pulling her onto his lap.
"Your so lucky he's sober" said Viv sitting beside them " Allen really took the whole freedom thing overboard."
"Yes, Robin's a good little boy" she said patting him on the head like a dog. "Joke" she said looking at his sullen face.

"Does anyone else want a glass?" Marian asked standing up a while later from Robin's lap.
"Had enough" said Viv.
Robin shook his head.
"You sure Robin you havn't had one drop."
"Don't drink."
"Come on, half a bottle wont do any harm."
"Marian you know I don't drink."
If Marian hadn't know him better she would have pestered him more but she knew that it was something more than 'just not in the mood'.
"I'm going solo then" she replied stepping into the kitchen.
"Hi" she said to Carter who was opening a bottle.
"Hey, want one?"
"Please Mr. Single Lady."
"Take that back!"
"Take what back Mr Single Lady?" she teased, the alcohol putting her in a giddy mood.
"Take it back" he said stepping towards her.
"Or what, you'll hit me with you hand bag?"
"Don't be so cruel Marian."
"Cruel's my middle name" she whispered in his ear.
"Is it now?" asked Carter leaning his face toward her leaving only a small gap between them.
They stared into each other's eyes before Carter cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers. Marian waited there for a few moments but pulled back feeling nothing.
It didn't feel right.
Her heart was supposed to flutter like it did when she was with Robin-damn, why was she even doing this?
"Having fun?" asked a voice from the doorway.
Carter cursed. "Robin, it's not what it looks like"
"It looks pretty obvious to me what's going on!"
"R-Robin, let me explain" pleaded Marian.
"Explain what? You really wanted to get rid of the whole single thing Carter and Marian you did it knowing I was in the next room. How could you?"
"You don't understand" said Carter.
"Oh, I understand everything" retorted Robin. He stepped back, slamming the kitchendoor.
Marian ran after him as he went out the door, she stopped at the front door as he got into his car giving it quick a rev before reversing out of the drive way. This couldn't be happening, just a few minutes ago everything was okay but then she had to go along and screw it all up.

"Marian what happened?" demanded Djac.
"Don't cry" comforted Eve.
"What did he do to you?" asked Viv.
"Marian?" she tried again."
It was me, I messed up."

Robin gripped the wheel tighter, the car was going over 90 now, not that he cared.
How could they?
How long had it been going on for?
Was he so caught up in everything that he didn't see it?
Did the rest of the gang know?
He shook his head, he trusted them so much, he was so close to both of them and for what?
For them to betray him?
He thought that as soon as the key turned locking Vaisey in jail that everything would be okay, life would be so much easier, but now it was worse. At least before all this his friends remained friends and his enemies enemies, had he asked for to much?
First there was the 'old' O.L.s, they started to doubt him, question him, things like that used to be a rare occurrence. They all believed that after all the things Vaisey did to him that he should be shot not just simply locked up. They thought he was getting soft, too soft for their liking. The rest of the gang thought the opposite. Although Vaisey was behind bars, England was still getting worse. The recession only grew bigger and the newly voted in government became only more corrupt. At first they were happy helping the poor but soon the novelty wore off and it became just a burden. If they didn't want too he couldn't make them but they seemed against him helping the poor, saying he was just wasting his time trying to change things. There would never be a stable England and definitely never a stable World.

Then there was Abi. With the slip up of Vaisey the government were eager to clear all the mess he made and that mess included her, John never adopted her they both just kind of took her in. However the government quickly came along and placed her in a suitable 'home' aka orphanage although it was nothing like Oliver Twist.
The new law prevented John from gaining guardian ship because he was single, not English and in his earlier years had criminal convictions. Robin had until he was 18, before he even got a slight chance of guardianship. But who lets a young 18 year old have guardianship?

It could have been worse he supposed. He was allowed to see her everyday, and take out on weekends for trips. She went to the same school and had even made a few friends in the home but that wasn't the point. He was supposed to protect her, be there for her. He promised himself that and he was failing already.
Robin stopped the car beside a fiddled with a few buttons and a screen slid up on the dashboard of the car. A minute later Techie came before him on the webcam.

"Do realise what time it is here? 3 am!"

"I….it's just-"

"This better be important Robin, do you realise how important sleep is?"

"Yeah, your right, go back to sleep."

"Thank you!" Techie replied leaving sight of thescreen

Robin pressed the off button and got out of his car.
The gate was locked but Robin easily climbed over it. A few minutes later he gone through two fields and to the top of a small hill. He sat down under a tree that was on the edge of the small cluster of trees.
Straight ahead of him he could see the city of Nottingham. The cities lights hid the stars above in the sky. Marian always complained of that, she loved the stars……
Alcohol-his mind unconsciously switched to it. Both Marian and Carter had their fair share and neither were used to the drink. Alcohol. It ruins everything, he'd seen that first hand with his parents......
Robin shook his head, why was he even thinking of those things? He leaned back against the tree, closing his eyes, blocking out everything and letting his go mind blank.

"You what?" choked Djac all signs of pity gone.
"I didn't mean too….I….I"
"How could you not mean too? Where's Carter?"
"Here" he croaked
Viv slapped him " what were you thinking?"
"Look we had a bit to much to drink and it didn't last the long. I didn't feel anything for her."
"Yet you still kissed? Asked Eve.
"Just let me explain" said Carter.
"Save your excuses for Robin" hissed Viv "you'll need them."

Robin opened his eyes feeling a lot calmer.
His phone told him that it had just gone twelve.
The nights sleep had done him good, mentally wise that was. He was all stiff after spending the night sleeping against tree.
He headed back to his car but he didn't go the direction for home, he still needed a while. He changed his thoughts to trying to figure out if he had enough money for a chip at Mac Donald's.

"Where is he?" asked Marian getting off of the couch and began pacing again.
"Oh, your worried now are you should have bloody thought of that before hand!" shouted Viv.
Marian swallowed unable to reply, she wasn't used to this side of the bubbly girl.
"And nice to see Carters concerned too" she commented on the sleeping Carter.
"Come on love" said Allen, dragging her out of the house.
"I should go too" said Eve sheepishly " I promised my Dad that it was just for the night."
"I'll walk you home" said Much following her out of the door, eager to get away from the situation.
"Djac, you know I didn't mean it" said Marian.
"Let me think Marian" replied Djac not lifting her eyes from her medical book.
Marian turned to John. "He will be okay won't he?"
John shrugged. "He's well able to fend for himself, no worries there. My only worry is when or if he comes back. He has no real reason to come back now, especially with Abi gone. It could be days at the least before he returns."

Robin finished the last of his chips. He threw the empty box onto the passengers seat. He looked at the small café that was across the road from him and remembered the conversation that had taken place there just a week previously.

"Do you think about us?" asked Marian sitting across from him.
"Of course, I think about you all the time" he replied.
"No. I mean like in the future say ten years from now."
"Woah, stay in the present Marian."
"Do you think we'll still be together?"
"I'd like to think so. Imagine me and you sitting on our porch on our rocking chairs. All wrinkly and cranky."
Marian laughed. She turned to a couple entering the café, each holding a baby, twins.
"If I was to have children" she said "I'd have two. A boy and a girl, they'd be both around the same age."
"And they would have your hair" smiled Robin.
"But your eyes."
"With your pretty face"
"And your cockiness"
"Along with your intelligence" finished Robin.
"I love you, you know that?"
"Not as much as I love you."

The phone ringing interrupted his memory. He checked the phone, it was a private number. His thumb hovered over the answer button before he curiously pressed it.
"Hello?"
"Hello Robin."
"Who is this?"
"That doesn't matter. However perhaps you might your recognise this voice….." There was some shuffling with the phone, then- "….Robbie? Robbie is that you?" asked a confused Abi.
Robin cursed. "What do you want?"
"Now, now, I ask the questions. Tell me, how much would you be willing to sacrifice for her?"
Robin replied immediately "everything."

Sorry if if the chap went a bit fast.
So who is Colm Daniels?
And Vaisey makes an appearance next chapter :) (Sorry he is just fun to write, must be the whole insanity thing)
Reviews are worshiped.